Main menu

Pages

Friday, June 16, 2006

Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

I freeze the Garlic Scape Pesto in a mini muffin tin for a perfect sized cube of pesto!

(Updated July 2011) I first learned about garlic scapes in 2006 and ever since I've been using them to make pesto. In 2011 I had the idea of combining the garlic scapes with chard, and I loved the Chard and Garlic Scape Pesto. Through the years I've tried different options for freezing pesto, but now I am sold on the idea of freezing it in mini muffin tins, which makes cubes that seem to be just the amount of pesto I want for a recipe.

I first tried some of my garlic scapes in an omelet, but I'd give that a mixed review. Although I did enjoy the garlicy/oniony flavor, I found it slightly astringent, and the taste lingered in my mouth longer than I wanted it to. This is an ingredient I would use sparingly if you're using it as a flavoring in something like a frittata or omelet. Then I made a batch of garlic scape pesto, which one online source said was the most popular use of the scapes. I liked the flavor of the pesto quite a bit, but garlic scapes are strong so in the recipe I'm posting here I reduced the amount of garlic scapes and increased the amount of cheese from the recipe I tried. Making pesto is an art not a science anyway, so if you happen to stumble on some garlic scapes, give it a try and decide for yourself how strong you'd like it.

Posts may include links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com, and this blog earns a few cents on the dollar if readers purchase the items I recommend, so thanks for supporting my blog when you shop at Amazon!

Glad to see some garlic scapes on your post - we just got them in our first crop share. I created Spinach and Garlic Scapes Pizza - will probably post the recipe later tonight. It was very good...a keeper!

Feel free to share any other recipes...we have a whole bag of these suckers ;)

kalyn,I ate garlic scapes often when I lived in Hongkong (Asia). My mom stir-fried it with meat (one of the blogs you highlighted also did a similar thing). After it's cooked, it's mild sweet without any garlic/onion smell. Thanks for showing this ingredient that has bought back my childhood memory! And I think using it in pesto is very innovative!

Great post. And perfect timing, because now I know for sure what garlic scapes are (thought I did--and I've been just tossing them among my tomato plants to deter pests, or feeding them to the chickens for years), and also that I definitely planted softneck garlic last year instead of my usual hardneck. Plus I've realized that the kind of funky post I was thinking about for WHB this week does indeed fit right in! (Will email it to you in a bit.)

Thanks for sharing this! I've been searching the net for scapes pesto recipes and stumbled upon your blog. This is our first year growing garlic and until now had no idea that scapes existed...now we're seeking out the various ways in which to use them. My husband and I are excited to try out your pesto recipe this evening. :-)

i finally made this! i took your advice and cut down the scapes and increased the cheese. i also added toasted almonds and a few toasted walnuts and it was delicious - but we still ended up with lingering garlic breath!!!

Kalyn,Just to add...a simple even bottled Italian Dressing(Newmans Balsamic works well)dip the scapes whole and throw on a hot grill for a couple minutes on each side and use as topping for steaks, chicken or even a lovely edible plate garnish! YUM

Kalyn,Thank you for sharing this recipe with me for my Garlic Scape Recipe Round Up! It's now live, and I'm so inspired I cannot wait for my scapes to appear. You can see the round up here: http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2014/05/28-recipes-using-garlic-scapes-recipe.html or Pin it for later: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/316659417522383833/ Thanks!

Thanks for joining the conversation! I love hearing from readers and even though I can't always reply to every comment, I will always answer specific questions on a recipe as soon as possible. Sometimes I'm answering by iPhone, so my replies may be short!

Comments don't appear on the blog until they're approved by me, so no need to try again if you don't see it when you post the comment! Please make your signature a link to your site if you're a blogger, but other links posted within the body of the comment will never be published.

Food Blogger Love!

Copyright Notice

All Photos and Original Text (C) Copyright: 2005-2015, By Kalyn's Kitchen® LLC. I grant permission for photos and recipe links to be copied to social media and other sites, but not recipe text. All Other Rights Reserved. (Other bloggers may post their adapted version of any recipe found here, with their own photos and recipe text, but please link back to the original inspiring recipe on this site.)

Kalyn's Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.